Fresh Truffles

The aroma and taste of fresh truffles

Round, warty, and irregular in shape, what fresh wild truffles lack in appearance, they more than make up for in taste. Pungent white truffles and more subtle black truffles can be shaved raw onto salads, pasta or eggs or they can be added to meat,poultry, pâtés and stuffing for deep, aromatic flavour.

Freshness is key to the unique truffle experience

The wonders of truffles are best enjoyed fresh; shortly after they have been harvested. They are collected seasonally, usually using trained dogs or pigs. Because of their flavour and rarity, chefs have treasured them for centuries.

The seasonal splendors of truffles

The Alba white truffle (tuber magnatum pico) is an object of desire for gourmands. It comes from Italy's Piedmont region and is harvested only between October and December.

To mark the start of spring we fly in the albidium pico white truffle from Northern Italy and Eastern Europe. It has a very delicate taste and an aroma that varies from very strong to medium.

The Perigord or black winter truffle, harvested from November through to March, has the strongest black truffle flavour, and is very highly regarded. We fly in only the freshest truffles from Umbria, known in Italy as ‘il tartufo nero di Norcia’.

With a long season, black summer truffles are the most common and are available from May to September. They have a delicately mild fragrance and flavour, so we highly recommend them for truffle oil or truffle butter.

Black autumn truffles have a delicate aroma and hints of hazelnut and woodland flavours. In contrast, spring black truffles have a strong nose and intense nutty flavour. Try them with other spring delicacies like white asparagus or morels.

The garlic aroma of the rare Smooth Black Truffle (Tuber Macrosporum) is comparable to the fresh white truffle with a distinctive, pungent taste. Try shaving it over pasta, risotto or on toasted bread with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

For something quite different, the honey truffle is rare and unusual with crisp, white flesh. Its sweet flavour adds depth to ice creams, cakes or mousses. For a delicious savoury-sweet combination, try it with goat's cheese or goat's curd and honey.